A Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper fatally shot a man armed with a hammer during an altercation Thursday afternoon, according to a statement.
The Trooper was responding just after 4 p.m. to a road rage incident in which the suspect rammed a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) vehicle on the shoulder of the I-5 northbound near milepost 197, according to the statement from the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART). The vehicle had a lift that was operating over a slough and carried two contractors, according to the statement.
An altercation broke out between the suspect, the contractors and the Trooper, during which the Trooper shot the suspect, the statement revealed.
One of the contractors sustained non-life-threatening injuries, the statement added. (RELATED: Police Release Bodycam Footage Of Fatal Shooting Of Naked 19-Year-Old Wielding Knife)
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Video show a state trooper fatally shooting a man on northbound I-5 following an attack on roadside workers.
According to the reports the suspect began ramming their vehicle into a construction vehicle and lift that was on the shoulder of the highway.
According to… pic.twitter.com/LQADGgPX2O
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Videos appearing to depict the incident have been circulating on social media. One such video showed a man, presumably the suspect, striding towards a Trooper while clutching an object in his hand. The Trooper pushed the man in the chest as they both appeared to exchange words. The suspect briefly jogged away from the Trooper while saying in part, “Let’s go, let’s go!” and then turning around to face the Trooper again.
“Turn around, do not face me,” said the Trooper. “Turn around now.”
“Who’s the boss? You or me, bitch?!” the suspect asked.
“I am!” the Trooper firmly replied.
“I’m the boss, motherfucker!” cried the suspect as he charged at the Trooper.
The Trooper trained his gun on the suspect. Three shots rang out. The suspect collapsed onto the tarmac, clutching his chest and rolling over briefly, according to the video.
SMART detectives are investigating the incident. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the deceased suspect later, according to the statement from SMART. The Trooper was not named.
The Daily Caller reached out to the WSP but did not receive a response as of the time of this report. A SMART officer confirmed the origin of the SMART statement to the Daily Caller.
